Highwood council hears hours of public comment on proposed Midwest Young Artists venue at Fort Sheridan

The Highwood City Council on July 15 heard more than three hours of public comment on a petition to rezone a four‑acre parcel in Fort Sheridan from R‑1 (residential) to a planned unit development (PUD) to allow construction of a 728‑seat performance hall and related campus proposed by Midwest Young Artist Conservatory (referred to in filings and testimony as MYAC/NYAC). The council opened the public comment period after staff introduced agenda item 11.2, “consideration of an ordinance regarding a special use permit for planned unit development, rezoning property from an R‑1 to a PUD, and approval of the preliminary plan.”

Why it matters: rezoning would change land currently designated residential in the Fort Sheridan historic neighborhood to allow a large, single‑purpose cultural facility that the petitioner says would host roughly 18 full‑capacity or near‑capacity events a year. Opponents say the change would bring traffic, stormwater and emergency‑response risks, permanent loss of taxable residential land and harms to the historic character of Fort Sheridan; supporters said the venue would expand music education, cultural programming and regional reputation.

Speakers at the council meeting included long‑time Fort Sheridan residents, two homeowners’ association representatives, local professionals and NYAC alumni and parents. David Henderson, president of the Town of Fort Sheridan Master Homeowners Association, told the council that existing retention ponds and ravines already suffer from siltation and past erosion and that “the current MYAC plan with the stormwater runoff from the proposed development will of course absolutely increase flows into the Town of Fort Sheridan retention pond,”…